Linux Users to Microsoft: Bring on the Patent Suits

Linux and other open source software users are so confident that their programs don't violate Microsoft's patents -- and so inscenced by Redmond's claims to the contrary -- that they have issued a challenge to the software juggernaut and its attorneys: "Go ahead. Sue us."

On a public wiki maintained at digitaltippingpoint.com, users like Sean Jensen are telling Microsoft specifically which open source programs they use and for what, and sometimes why. According to Computerworld, Jensen had this to say:

I use Gentoo Linux and exclusively FOSS (free and open-source software) tools to write experimental speech and natural language processing prototypes... And for music. And other fun stuff. No, Microsoft, you did not invent any of this. It ain't yours, it ain't mine, it ain't theirs. It's ours. All of ours.

Up to this point, Microsoft has insisted it has no intention of suing users, but it would like companies to license its open source tech. Users who have posted on the wiki want the company to prove its patent infringement claims rather than being evasive about them.

Computerworld says Microsoft had not responded to the wiki at the time of this posting.

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